(19)
(11) EP 0 425 417 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
07.10.1992 Bulletin 1992/41

(43) Date of publication A2:
02.05.1991 Bulletin 1991/18

(21) Application number: 90480148.7

(22) Date of filing: 21.09.1990
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)5: G06F 9/44
(84) Designated Contracting States:
DE FR GB

(30) Priority: 23.10.1989 US 425746

(71) Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
Armonk, N.Y. 10504 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Shackelford, Floyd Wayne
    Buford, GA 30518 (US)
  • Abraham, Robert Low
    Marietta, GA 30068 (US)
  • Moore, Richard Eugene
    Marietta, GA 30067 (US)
  • Rich, William Lawrence
    Stone Mountain, GA 30088 (US)
  • Tiller, John Russel, Jr.
    Peachtree City, GA 30269 (US)
  • Briggs, Richard Smith, Jr.
    Bloomingdale, IL 60108 (US)

(74) Representative: Bonneau, Gérard 
Compagnie IBM France Département de Propriété Intellectuelle
06610 La Gaude
06610 La Gaude (FR)


(56) References cited: : 
   
       


    (54) Process and apparatus for directly manipulating objects in an object oriented programming system


    (57) Data may be manipulated directly in an object oriented programming system by providing a slot object which con­tains data within its frame. In contrast with convention­al objects, the frames of which only contain attributes of the associated instances, the slot object contains actual data therein. Since this data is not contained in a separate object, a unique object identified need not be provided, thus simplifying object management. Unique messages also need not be provided so that message over­head is simplified. Memory fragmentation is also reduced because simple and tightly bound data may be encapsulated within a larger slot object. The data area in the slot object may be of fixed or variable size.







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